What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA? This act was orginally planned to protect healthcare for when workers were in between jobs. It was enacted by the 104th United States Congress and passed by President Bill Clinton on August 21st, 1996. HIPAA was passed in order to create laws to protect sensitive patient information from being exposed to others without the consent of the patient. This, also known as the Privacy Rule, ensures that patients know how to control when and where their protected health information, or PHI, is used. Its covered entities include all types of healthcare providers regardless of size and healthcare plans, which include health, dental, vision, and prescription insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs (health maintenance organizations), and more. On the other hand, the HIPAA Security Rule controls all patient information via electronic channels. This is known as e-PHI, and its entities should be subject to professional opinion when planning to be released or shared. Its covered entities must be confidential and integrous when dealing with the e-PHI of patients and act as guards to possible threats of privacy.
Citations:
“Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 June 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html